Art should be an important aspect of any living room. It can be used in a multitude of interesting and dynamic ways, to create a particular tone or mood, because it matches other pieces, or just simply because we like it.

There’s been a significant rise in popularity in art in the home, with lots of people taking a real, enthusiastic interest in the kinds of pieces available and the way they’ll adorn their homes.

Another real boon – particularly during this belt-tightening times of austerity – is that you can pick up a veritable cornucopia of fantastic pieces without making a juggernaut-sized dent in your wallet.

Whatever the reason you’re looking for art for your living room, however,, it’s always good to be reminded of a few important things you should factor into your decision making process.

Cast a Roving Artistic Eye

Before you make your selection, look at as many art pieces as possible. Museums, galleries, outdoor exhibitions, public art spaces, art displays in libraries and restaurants – use them all to soak up as much artistic inspiration as you possibly can.

And let’s not forget the endlessly indispensable source that is the internet. A particular advantage of surfing the net is you can peruse every kind of art imaginable from the comfort of your own home, whether it’s impressionism, sculpture, abstract painting, impressionism or photography.

Size Does Matter

Choose art pieces that are the right size to fit the space. Art that’s too big will distract from and overwhelm other, smaller pieces or other décor in the room. You want everything to look in scale and proportion. If you choose big, bold art, then you have to give it sufficient breathing space.

Measure the exact dimensions of the art and the room, giving each enough space so that the room won’t feel too cluttered and crowded.

A Harmonious Balance

Select an art piece that harmonises with the tone and palette of the room. When it comes to choosing a painting to match the colour, pick out a few of the most vibrant, noticeable colours and pick art that has those colours in it. It doesn’t matter if it’s not a precise match – just one or two of those colours will create a cohesive, unified environment that feels compatible and comfortable.

If you already have any other art pieces in your room, go for new works that match the style of those works. On the other hand, your house might be filled with antiques, in which case you might want to encase any new art with a suitably antique frame.

Time for a Change

It’s always perfectly reasonable to change your room around if you find the art doesn’t fit or work in it. If you bring it home and it doesn’t fit or look good on the wall you’d envisaged it would or it clashes with the environment, try hanging it on different walls or, as a last resort, in other rooms.

Decorating your living room with wall art should be fun and creative, so try it out in other places and you might be surprised it looks and works better in a place you’d never planned.

To get the art to work at its most aesthetically pleasing, you might have to engage in some living room reorganisation - rearranging furniture or perhaps even a spot of repainting, for example.

How’s it Hanging?

To get the most out of your art piece, it’s important to hang it properly. Generally, art work should be hung at eye level, but that’s only a guideline so you should play around the height and fixture of the best until you get it exactly the way you want it. Some collectors have even hung paintings on the ceiling so they get a better look of them when they’re lying down.

The Centre of Attention

Emphasise the significance of the painting and how much you love it and want other people to enjoy it by playing down other elements in the room. Wall coverings, carpeting, furniture, window coverings can all be rearranged. You want everyone to appreciate the art as much as you, and too many other objects and colours will distract from the art itself.

The Art of Experimentation

Experiment with different ideas, formats and presentations to get the end result you want. It’s true that displaying art is an art form in itself. Though it may take a while to reach a satisfactory end result, in the long run it will be worth it – for the art work, the room and you.

Let There be Light

You’ve invested all this time, money and effort in buying your art and displaying it at its most impressive – so make sure you give it sufficient light to make it the real centrepiece and talking point of your living room. Picture lights and track lighting are ideal for illumination your newly-acquired artistic acquisition.

At Art Gallery, we have a wide variety of affordable, original art pieces that would be ideal for your living room, no matter the size or the style of décor. Why not try our Test Drive Tool to see how each piece will look in your house.

Before the sprouts are on and the annual tin of Quality Street is out, you can ramp up the excitement levels of Santa’s imminent arrival with a spot of Yuletide decorating.

Here are a few suitably merry Christmas tips for festive interior design and buying an art piece as a present.

Knowing the Person

Buying art as a present depends on a number of factors – chief amongst them, how well do you know the person? If you don’t know them that well, it’s advisable to get an artwork that has a broader appeal. Chances are, however, you’ll have some inkling of their tastes and artistic proclivities, so you’ll have a pretty good idea of the kind of pieces they like.

The Function of Art

Also important to consider is whether the recipient will have sufficient space to display it – after all, you don’t want it ending up in their loft collecting dust. Some people like art that compliments their existing décor, while others might want it as an attention-grabbing centrepiece.

Personal Artistic Taste

Equally key is whether the person you’re buying for has any favourite artists or sculptors. If you don’t know, it might be an idea to tentatively coax it out of them. It may turn out they don’t have a favourite, specific artist but know the kinds of things they like, so try and tailor your gift to their tastes.

Budget and Size

As with most things, what you buy will depend on the budget available. Knowing what is realistically available in relation to what you can spend is important. When it comes to original art, size doesn’t always have to be the overruling factor. A smaller piece of original art will probably go down better than a huge, cheap piece that gives the impression you spent more money.

Bring the Outside In

With the cold, dark winter now in full swing, you’ll want to give some thought to the way passers-by perceive your Christmas decorations from the outside. The bottom line is that a proper display of decorations is infinitely more appealing than a haphazard display of garish tinsel and a wonky Christmas tree.

It’s amazing how much you can spread the Yuletide cheer through your window, so cheer up your neighbours as they pass your house on these chilly evening – whether it’s a Merry Christmas sign or a lights, don’t forget those outside dwellers.

Sort the Decorations

We’re all guilty of throwing those damaged or broken decorations in with good, working ones. Sorting the wheat from the chaff of yuletide decorations won’t only sort out a job that needed doing anyway, but will give you a chance to sort them out and get a sense of possible colour schemes and ideas. It will also make it easier to decide and organise which ones you’ll put in the hallway, living room, on the mantelpiece and, of course, on the tree.

You may find, for example, that the majority of your decorations are slanted toward the red and gold theme, in which case it might be wise to theme your tree this way so the palette matches with everything else.

The Miracle of Nature

During the festive period, the spirits might be high but the cash is definitely low. So what better way to cut back on the overall costs that by turning to Mother Nature for your interior design? Things such as holly leaves, berries and pine cones not only fully exploit the beauty of nature but also look fantastic as decorations.

And when you’ve amassed a reasonably-sized collection of nature’s decorative miracles, you can start thinking about how you want to use them – as tree or table decorations or a wreath adornment. Bottom line: anything that encourages a little thriftiness at this time is to be welcomed with open arms (and mince pie-filled stomachs).

Keeping the Table Laid

You might have a dining room that you don’t normally use that much, so why not put it to good and full use over the period of Very Merry and have it available all throughout the festive season. It’s also another good reason to the make the most of your decorations too.

Keep It Personal

Christmas is a time that seemingly gets everyone’s creative juices flowing, whether it’s tacking up the tinsel or brandishing the baubles. You can also get truly hands-on too, creating your own personalised decorations, perhaps choosing specific themes and colours for your family members, running across the decorations right down to the stockings.

Choose a Suitably Festive-Coloured Art Piece

Art should play a role in your Christmas interior design plan too. If you’re going the traditional Christmas colour route, an art piece that utilizes green, red, gold, white and blue would work well. If you want to venture down a more alternative path, how about a piece which incorporates blue and red, red and lime, or navy and silver?

At Art Gallery, we have a fantastic range of affordable, original art pieces that would be ideal for the Christmas season. Why not try our Test Drive Tool to see how each piece will look in your house.